The other night I had tightness just below the neck and then the muscles in the neck started to hurt, so I went and took my blood pressure and it was like 200+/100+ and I thought the machine was low on batteries.

Tried to relax and look for batteries and then got MIL's unit and it was not as high, but higher than my normal HIGH which is like 180/85 and I take Lisinopril 40mg every morning.

So yesterday afternoon while running errands I stopped at the EMt's to have them check it and it was 220/118 and he said to go to the ER. I did try to see a doc at my cl8inic but all was gone and my nurse said gotto ER also! Well I felt ok, so I finished my errands the last one ending right below the ER. I had the cold stuff on ice so in I went. They couldnt even get the automatic ones to work and the guy had to do it manually and it was up there.

Long story short in addition to the morning meds the ER Doc has put me on Coreg CR (and he wanted name brand no generic) at night.

What does all this mean. I just turned 60, in the process of quiting cigarrettes(i've cut down alot) thru Becomeanex.org and will be using Chantix with a quit date July 4th, I am highly overweight:228-@ 5', but watching diet( esp salt and fatty foods) for now as I just had surgery and couldnt exercise for the last 8 weeks to burn the calories. I have COPD and have had 2 cases of mild bronchitis since the surgery. I am also on meds for High cholesterol. I am taking OTC for arthritis Glucos/chrond/MSN 3x daily, 1000mg Flaxsd oil, Vitb complete, 100 iu E, Calcium/D 600 2x daily, Black Cohosh 2x, amd Vit C.

I have Klonipin for sleeping and something to keep me from peeing at night so I can sleep.

Can anyone tell me how I can lower this or what might have caused this sudden rise. I was not stressed at the time and in fact was a the computer relaxing with music and reading emails.

I do have an appt with PC doc Tues after I have been on Corg for a few days to see what effect it will have on the blood pressure.

The kidneys are the main regulator of BP. Renal artery stenosis is quite common in hypertensive patients especially those with high cholesterol. The condition of your kidneys can be accessed by a blood electrolyte-creatinine test and a doppler ultrasound. My idiot took two years to Dx renal artery stenosis- check it out immediately.

Hi there this is Kitt and I am glad you had your BP checked and followed up with your physician.

High blood pressure can result from several factors. The heart itself can impact blood pressure. The heart muscles itself can enlarge, causing higher pressure of blood exiting the heart. Cardiomyopathy or enlargement of the heart muscle also increases blood pressure. Excess weight makes your heart work harder to pump blood through the body. Extra fluid in your circulatory system as a result of lots of salt intake, kidney problems or other medical conditions also puts a higher demand on the heart. Increased blood volume also causes more constriction within the blood vessels, translating into higher blood pressure.

The blood vessels play an important role in your blood pressure. Usually, the arteries are elastic and can expand and contract in rhythm with the hearts pumping action. High cholesterol and the plaques that form cause the arteries to lose their elasticity. Each time the heart pumps, the vessel can no longer stretch, and a higher pressure is created. Just think about what happens if you

Some medications you take such as steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), nasal decongestants and other cold remedies, diet pills, cyclosporine, erythropoetin, tricyclic antidepressants and a type of anti-depressant called monoamine oxidase inhibitors can also contribute to increased BP.

Some of the conditions that can cause secondary hypertension include:

Kidney disease. Damage to your kidneys from inherited or other disorders, such as diabetes, can limit your kidneys' ability to remove salt from your blood, which can cause high blood pressure.

Sleep apnea. A sleep disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep.

Renal artery narrowing. This narrowing of kidney arteries can cause a release of hormones that raise blood pressure.

Cushing's disease, aldosteronism and pheochromocytoma. Diseases that can trigger excessive production of hormones by your adrenal glands, which can lead to high blood pressure.

Coarctation of the aorta. A narrowing of the main blood vessel supplying blood from your heart to your body.

By effectively treating these medical conditions, you can typically get your blood pressure under control or even cure it.